


The Life of the Gardener

by Fangirlx4



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Friendship, Gen, Growing Up, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Reunions, The Search Comics (Avatar), no beta we die like jet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 23:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30029559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlx4/pseuds/Fangirlx4
Summary: Etsu has been through a lot in her life.
Relationships: Ursa (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s), Zuko & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 16





	The Life of the Gardener

**Author's Note:**

> I like fics like this so I decided to make one of my own.

The day that Etsu was born was bittersweet. For it was the day her father gained a daughter but lost a wife.

Etsu had a decent first few years of life. Her dad and grandma loved her very much, the only downside to it was their village was very poor. The village she lived in was located on the smallest island in the Fire Nation. The farthest you could get from the capital and the farthest away from the capital’s riches.

Etsu was five when she came to the dinner table to find her grandma and dad arguing about something.

“It would be a great opportunity!” Her dad said.

“But it’s so far away,” her grandma replied.

“I’ll get a job as a Fire Nation soldier. We could finally profit from this damned war!” 

The older adult looked like she was going to respond when they noticed her. They quickly put on obviously fake smiles as Etzu sat down to eat her (meager) dinner.

Etsu thought about the conversation she’d overheard when she went to bed that night. Her father had seemed angry when he mentioned the war. She didn’t know a lot about it, she was still too young for it to be talked about in much detail at school but no one had ever really talked about it to her knowledge. That was also one of the few times she’d heard her father use such foul language, it had surprised her to say the least, and what were they talking about anyway? Dad getting a job as a soldier? Her grandma was right, that did sound dangerous.

All these thoughts circled the young girl’s head as she drifted off to sleep and by the time she woke up she had forgotten the conversation entirely.

***

Etsu was six and half when she first walked into her new home in a newly colonized Fire Nation colany. Two months after the original conversation her dad and grandma had, it was decided that they would move to this newly colonized part of the Earth Kingdom. Her dad thought that moving away from their small, poor village would give Etsu a better future and eventually her grandma agreed.

Etsu couldn’t say much about her new home yet. It was certainly different from her old one. The streets were more crowded and the temperature was a little colder than she was used to but she couldn’t decide if that made it bad. She supposed she would just have to wait and see it was only her first day here after all. 

A few months of living in her home and she had adjusted quite nicely she had a new group of friends to make up for the ones she had left behind and her family was able to afford things they hadn’t been able to before. One thing is troubling her though, it’s her dad, he comes home sometimes and either talks in hushed tones to her grandma or just sits down at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. The young girl had tried to console her father about whatever was bothering him but he just looked up at her with sad, tired eyes and continued the inner turmoil that was waging war in his head. 

***

When Etsu was younger she didn’t understand the negative effect war had on the world, didn’t understand how her father could hate himself so much when they had more money than they ever had previously. Didn’t understand why he called himself a coward, a disgrace. For at school she learned that the war was about spreading greatness, that war was great and noble. That all changed in due time though because in a war torn world oftentimes kids end up growing up much too fast.

It happened when she was ten. Earth Kingdom soldiers came into the city that had been her home for the past four years. Screaming about taking back what was theirs, destroying the houses and shops. She had tried to run away but she was caught. She remembered shaking with fear as the green clad soldier held her down. She remembered the nasty things he said to her, she remembered him gouging out her right eye and cutting down her cheek. Saying that a blind Fire Nation girl was a dead Fire Nation girl. She remembered a man, who looked to be her father tackling her attacker off of her. She remembered her whispered cries to Agni as the world went black.

She woke up a week later learning that the Fire Nation soldiers had warded off the Earth Kingdom ones but not without cost, while she had lost an eye, her father had lost his life. 

Two years later her grandma died in her sleep. That’s when Etsu realized that there was nothing left for her in this Fire Nation colany. She decided she would save up and try her luck on the mainland.

*** 

Etsu is sixteen when she lands the role of a gardener for the palace grounds. Honestly, she’s not even sure how she got it. A year prior she had gotten hired as a gardener in Caldera City then one day she was transferred to the Royal Palace. She doesn’t ask though, the job at the palace is better paid. She just keeps her head down and does her work. None of the other staff she encounters ask about the red cloth she has covering her (non-existent) eye. She figures that like her they came from less than ideal circumstances. Any commoner working for Fire Lord Azulon has to be pretty desperate. Luckily for her she’s out in the garden. So she is never around the Royal family. Sometimes she sees the servants crying and nursing bruises or burns. If this were any other place she would comfort them but it’s not any other place, it’s the home to the most dangerous people in the Fire Nation, the very reason of the war. Being seen helping her colleges would be seen as weakness and she can not afford to look weak.

***

Etsu is in her fourth year of working in the palace when the granddaughter of Avatar Roku marries Prince Ozai. It all seemed very sudden to Etsu, it seems like Roku’s decedent, Ursa just arrived here a little while ago. Surely it’s too soon for a wedding? Etsu knows however, that voicing these thoughts would be a very dangerous thing to do. So she does what all the palace staff do best, keep quiet. 

It’s maybe another two months when Etsu hears someone crying behind the bush she has come to prune. Etsu carefully peeks over the bushes and startles. She expected to see some poor servant, too stressed out to hide their emotions any longer but no! It’s the newly named Princess Ursa! Etsu takes a deep breath and composes herself walking around the bush.

“Everything alright Princess?” She asks, even though it’s clear that everything is  _ not  _ alright.

The princess shrieks and quickly covers her mouth with her hand. Etsu wants to kick herself for being so forward. She should’ve just did this bush later damn her morality for wanting to make the princess feel better.

“Never mind, I’ll just go. I’m sorry to have disturbed you Princess” Etsu says as she bows and makes to leave.

“No wait!” Comes the distressed voice of Princess Ursa from behind her. The gardener turns around slowly, regarding the Princess carefully.

“What is it Princess?” 

Princess Ursa sighs, “It would be good to talk to someone with a friendly face.”

Etsu schools her expression fast. It’s been a long time since anyone has called her face “friendly” but when she looks at Princess Ursa’s glistening eyes she supposes she can spend some time talking with the Princess. It’s the least she can do, because even though the Princess has two beautiful eyes and soft, smooth skin, Etsu can’t help but think that Roku’s granddaughter reminds her a bit of herself.

*** 

Much to Etsu’s surprise she and Princess Ursa become very good friends,  _ best  _ friends even. Ursa told her all about the small town she grew up in. How she had a man who she loved there. How she was taken against her will and forced to marry Prince Ozai. That the reason she had been crying that day was because she misses her family. She has been forbidden from having any contact with them since her marriage. Etsu is understandably repulsed by this. Here is a young woman, close to her own age who has been uprooted from everything she knew against her will. Forced to marry someone she doesn’t love.  _ Forced _ to  _ bear _ his children. Just because of who her ancestors are. One thing good about her less than desirable face is that she is never harassed. Noble men to one look at her, even with her cloth on and see her as undesirable, not worth their time. One thing she learned while working here is that it is sometimes an advantage to be considered ugly. 

One day she sees the Princess by the turtleduck pond. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence; it's Ursa’s favourite place in the entire grounds of the palace and where they usually meet up, but there’s something in her friend’s expression. Something hopeful but nervous, different from the fear on her friend’s face when she’s thinking about the roughness her husband handles her with. Etsu doesn’t know what to make of this expression. So she sets down her tools (she can finish her work later) and sits by Ursa’s side.

“Want to talk about it?”

The princess startles but quickly relaxes when she realises it’s just her friend. Then she puts a hand on her stomach and Etsu understands. She pulls her friend into a hug, not caring if anyone sees her. They both knew that this day would come. That doesn’t make it any less jaring though. Etsu kinda wants to vomit, Ursa starts crying softly because in her womb is the heir that Ozai placed there and the granddaughter of Roku is not sure how she feels about it.

***

Etsu watches seven year old Zuko and his mother feed the turtleducks. As Ursa’s pregnancy with him progressed she felt more love towards her unborn child. Etsu couldn’t quite share the sentiment. All she could think of when she saw the fetus slowly expanding her best friend’s stomach is all the cruelty that happened to get it there. However, as the young prince grew she became quite fond of him. He has his mother’s personality. He treats her and everything around him with kindness. That’s something she can respect. His younger sister though… well she’s a different story. She has all the cruelty of the Fire Nation running through her blood. Whereas Zuko treats everything with kindness, she treats everything with cruelness. Etsu shivers to think of what the princess will do when she is older. For she is only five and already the palace staff are afraid of her. 

***

A lot of things happen at once. Ursa disappears, Azulon dies and Ozai takes the throne. Etsu would be a fool to not suspect foul play. Everything was timed too perfectly, too in alignment with Ozai’s wishes for it to be a coincidence. That just makes the staff more on edge. If Ozai is willing to assassinate his own father to get what he wants, what will he do to them? 

Prince Zuko never came out to the gardens anymore. From the brief glances Etsu gets though, she can tell he’s not doing well in a way that has less to do with his missing mother and more to do with her not being able to shield him from Ozai’s wrath. Though, Ursa would never leave her kids like this, something must have happened that had thrown Ursa over the edge. Etsu doesn’t know what it was and she probably never will.

Princess Azula only gets crueler. Etsu thought she was bad before but oh how wrong she was. Azula routinely threatens servants and will burn parts of the garden that she doesn’t like. The palace staff never say anything because as mentioned before they know better.

***

Etsu hears of the young Prince’s banishment. She doesn’t know what he did, probably some very minor thing. She knows the boy’s father has had it out for him since he was born. 

_ He’s thirteen,  _ she thinks ruefully, the same age she was when she left her Earth Kingdom home. She knows that there’s nothing left for him here. She wonders how long it will be until he realizes too.

***

The war is over the banished, turned traitor prince has taken his place on the throne and become the new Fire Lord. The palace staff talk. They worry, how much different will he be from his father and sister? They don’t think he’ll be any different than they were. They’re scared. Etsu knows better though, she knew whereas Azula took after Ozai, Zuko takes after Ursa. He has a good heart. 

It’s six months into his reign when Etsu spots him by the turtleduck pond. He seems upset, face his hands, back hunched over. With a deep breath she puts down her tools and walks over to him.

“Everything alright Your Majesty?” She asks.

The Fire Lord looks up surprised. A look of recognition coming over his features. “Etsu?”

“Yes Your Majesty.” She responds, sitting down next to him.

The teen beside her lets his hands drop. “I haven’t seen you in forever. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, especially now that the war is over but-,’’ she continues “I’m here to talk about you not me.” She supposes that’s not the best way to talk to royalty but she remembers that one time he fell in the pond and she and Ursa had to console the little boy for a good half hour so let's just say she’s not too worried about speaking her mind around him.

The Fire Lord sighs, “It’s just all the war reparations, the people who still support Ozai, the fact that I don’t really know what I’m doing!”

Etsu hums, “I can see how all that can be troubling and I’m afraid to say I can’t be much help but if you ever need an ear you can come find me.”

He smiles and she returns the gesture, excusing herself to go finish up her job.

Over the next few months they have more conversations.

There’s the “Everyone is always so afraid of me!” conversation.

The “Stupid Generals and their stupid ideas.” conversation.

And the “I had a nightmare about my father.” conversation.

With each conversation Etsu listens just like a mother would. Offering any advice when she can and condolences when she can’t. After a particularly bad nightmare about the Agni Kai he had with his father (of course the damned ashmaker burned his son, who else would dare!) resulting in him fretting over his scar. She finally took the cloth off her face, allowing him to be the first person in years to see it. The Fire Lord- Zuko as he instructed her to call him was becoming like a son to her. She consoled him when he was upset, smiled with him when he was happy and called him out when he was being an idiot (thankfully that last one doesn’t happen very often) and Zuko has admitted to her that she reminds him a lot of his mother. For the first time in years Etsu is happy, she can’t imagine her life getting any better than this but of course, fate decides to prove her wrong in the best way possible.

***

Etsu has just finished up her work for the day and is about to leave the palace grounds when Zuko flags her down.

“I know you're not into palace gossip very much so you probably don’t know…” 

Etsu raises an eyebrow and prompts him to continue speaking.

Zuko’s smiling now, “I think there’s someone you would like to see.”

When Zuko leads her to the turtleduck pond she stops, sitting at the edge of the pond where she has sat countless times before is Ursa, her best friend.

The granddaughter of Roku looks up and smiles softly, “Etsu, it’s been so long, I hope you can forgive me. I would’ve told you if I could.”

Etsu rams into the person she met close to twenty years ago, tears streaming down her face. “You’ve already been forgiven.” She says in a broken, teary voice. When the mother of the Fire Lord hugs her back, Etsu knows life can’t get any better than this. 


End file.
